Objective: This cross-sectional study examined students' perspectives on the ramifications of obesity being recognized as a chronic disease in Canada. Participants: Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 150) in health-related programs at a major Canadian university. Methods: An online survey featured open-ended questions to capture student…

While studies have examined the outcomes of interprofessional service-learning activities, the use of interprofessional, community-based health programming as an opportunity for fostering civic engagement in today's public health students is less studied. This article examines the benefits of a student-run exercise and nutrition program as an…

The goals of Healthy Campus 2020 are to improve health across college campuses for students. One of the focuses is to increase physical exercise and avoid weight gain and risks for obesity. During this time of transition, many college students do not partake in regular exercise and females are at lower levels of exercise participation compared to…

Aim and objectives: In the USA, undergraduate students gain more weight in the first year in college than at any other point in their lives. However, the factors that predict their weight gain are unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors of weight gain among first-year college students at a US college over a 3-month period.…

This perspective article discusses how a health-related learning community was incorporated to help freshman students learn about health and wellness and prevent weight gain at an HBCU. Freshman students often gain weight during their first year away from home. These students make poor diet and exercise choices during their transition to college…

Physical education (PE) curricula in many countries explicitly task teachers with the responsibility to support the health of their pupils. However, there are concerns that a prevailing 'healthism' discourse is influencing how PE curricula are enacted. Although we know something about how PE teachers understand and 'teach' health, little is known…

This quantitative study was designed to investigate whether differences existed between body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and systolic blood pressure based on gender and ethnicity. Participants included 2,051 Delaware State University students enrolled in the Lifetime Fitness and Wellness course from January 2014 to December 2016.…

In Louisiana, 33% of adolescents and 28% of children are overweight or obese (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, 2011). It is projected that as many as 24,000 more children in Louisiana may become obese by 2020 if the trend continues (Broyles et al., 2011). Researchers have identified several strategies to address overweight among…

With an adult obesity rate of 35.6%, Alabama is the second most obese state in the United States. Alabama Extension and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined in the first collaboration between the CDC and land-grant institutions to prevent further incidence and reduce the prevalence of obesity. The objective of our study was…

Objective: To describe the relationships between the cardiovascular health, lifestyle behaviors, and lifestyle beliefs among college-aged students. Participants: Seven hundred and twenty-nine college-aged students participated between October 2016 and April 2017. Methods: Heart checks, consisting of a cross-sectional survey and biometric…

Background: Obesity continues to afflict adolescents in underserved communities. It is difficult to understand how adolescents perceive empowerment over their health and the health of their communities. The purpose of our study was to describe the impact of the Healthy Heart Ambassador program on adolescents' perceived empowerment through the…

The high rates of overweight and obesity continue to be a major health concern in the United States. Teachers and teacher training programs too often overlook students who are overweight and obese and their experiences in physical education. This article reviews literature on the perceptions of overweight students regarding physical education and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an online "teachable moment" intervention to promote healthy eating for overweight and food intolerance symptoms. Design/methodology/approach: The study involves a 2×2 factorial design with two conditions: group (weight loss vs food intolerance) and condition (intervention vs control).…

The aim of this paper was to gain an understanding of the views of a group of physical education teacher educators on the purpose(s) of school physical education and whether, how and why these views have changed over time. Semi-structured individual interviews were carried out with thirteen physical education teacher educators; a fourteenth…

Background: Fruit and vegetable prescription (FVRx) programs provide "prescriptions" for produce, but increased access to nutritional food may be insufficient for long-term behavior change. Purpose: We integrated nutritional education into an FVRx program at a farmers' market and community garden at Penn State Medical Center by pairing…